Ryohei Oiwa to Challenge for IWGP Heavyweight Championship at NJPW King of Pro Wrestling

Ryohei Oiwa was the big winner of the G1 Climax 36 Tournament Final, besting Yuya Uemura in a match many are saying was the best so far in 2026. With that victory, Oiwa earned a shot at the IWGP Heavyweight Championship. For many years, the G1 winner would get their title shot at Wrestle Kingdom in the Tokyo Dome on January 4. A new tradition has begun recently, and that tradition will be continuing this year.

Oiwa will be challenging for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship on October 12 in Tokyo’s Ryogoku Sumo Hall. It’ll be the main event of NJPW’s King of Pro Wrestling event, which has served as the date for the G1 winner’s Heavyweight Championship match since 2024. Zack Sabre Jr. was the first man to do this, stating that he didn’t want to wait until January 4 for his title match. Konosuke Takeshita took the same route last year, and both men were successful in their challenges.

Ryohei Oiwa will challenge either current champion Yota Tsuji or Hirooki Goto. Tsuji & Goto have a match scheduled for NJPW’s Destruction in Kobe event taking place on September 27. NJPW’s website notes that Oiwa has had success against Goto but has never beaten Tsuji in a singles match. Oiwa’s impressed the world with his performances in recent months, now he’ll have the biggest match of his life in just under two months.

OFFICIAL!

G1 Climax 36 winner Ryohei Oiwa will take his IWGP Heavyweight title shot against either Yota Tsuji or Hirooki Goto at King of Pro-Wrestling October 12!https://t.co/9dTymoY4YU#njpw #njkopw pic.twitter.com/GnkieoF9RK

— NJPW Global (@njpwglobal) August 17, 2026